Envelop and advertising-opener therefor.



"140. 7a2-,503. 1 Patented lune I7, |902.

vF. THE|LENGERnEs.

ENVELDP AND ADVERTISING OPENER-THERFOR.

(Appliat'ion filed Mau.V 26. 1902.)

(In Model.)

NITED; STATES PATENT FFICE.

FREDERICK THEILENGERDES, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

ENvEL'oP AND ADVERTISING-OPENER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 02,508, dated J' une 17, 1902.

Application filed March 26, 1902. Serial No. 100,117. (No model.)

'fo @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that L FREDERICK THEILEN- GERDES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops and Advertising-Openers Therefor; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to advertising devices, and involves an envelop provided with an opener adapted to instantly and neatly open it along one edge and so arranged that the opening necessarily brings to view advertis-l ing matter, this being a leading object in providing the envelop with the opener. In its preferred embodiment myinvention involves a special en velop peculiarly adapted for use with the opener, but also having advantages'.

when used without opening devices. i

In its simplest form the invention involves.

placing within an envelop a fiat cutting-plate and providing means whereby it may bereadily drawn outward, cutting its Way through the envelop, and thus opening the latter. Practically the plate may be simply stiff paper, and the means for drawing it outward may be a small portion of the plate projecting through al corresponding opening in the envelop. Preferably the outline of the plate is such that it cuts its way progressively and with a draw cut. It is also desirable that the projecting portion shall be capable of folding down, so that it does not normally project beyond the envelops edge, that it shall not be likely to accidentally slip entirely within the envelop, so that it` cannot be grasped, and, further, that the plate shall not interfere with placing a letter in the envelop nor in any case injure the letter.

All these advantages vare secured in the devices shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows an envelop-opening plate. Fig. 2 shows a complete envelop with the plate in position. Fig. 3 shows the same envelop partially opened by the outward relative movement of the plate. Fig. 4 represents a blank for forming a special envelop .an envelop C, the projection being sufficient to permit grasping the members with the iingers and drawing the plate outward. The plate thus drawn outward cuts its way through the envelop, forming an opening or slit equal in width to the width of the plate itself, which preferablyextends,asshown,substantiallyen ti rely across the envelop from corner to corner. The projecting member may conveniently be an integral portion'of the plate, preferably at or near the medial line of the same, and the working edges A2 A2 of the plate may be straight or curved and made to converge to the member A', so that as the latter is pulled outward they progressively cut the paper until the envelop is opened along this entire Inargin. The member A may be folded over, as shownvin Fig. 2, so that the euvelops provided with the device may be packed in boxes having the usual dimensions. Preferably the projecting member is enlargedjust beyond the envelops margin, so that it cannot pass inside the envelop by the sliding of the plate toward 4the opposite end of the latter, since its shouldersnormally extend beyond the limit of the opening. Such construction does not prevent its being readily putin place or removed when the -sealing-flap is fully open. Instructions for opening may, if desired, be placed alongside and upon lthe projecting member, as shown.

When it is desired to open the sealed envelop, obviously all that is necessary is to seize the projecting member with one hand while holding'the envelop with the other and draw the plate out of the envelop. Advertising matter is placed upon the plate, preferably on both faces, and such matter is necessarily seen as the plate comes out of the envelop, and is practically certain to receive attention, at least from all to whom the device is novel.

The envelop-blank shownv in Fig. 4 has an address-bearing portion D, a back E, and

ssY

flaps F F to be gummed upon the back in making the envelop, a narrow gummed sealed flap G, and an inwardly-folding small flap I-I, the latter to fold over one side of the plate and prevent the latter from interfering with placing a letter or the like in the envelop. In this blank the opening for the member A', by which the plate is to be drawn out, is shown as a slot at the line of the folding which forms one margin of the completed envelop; but it is obvious that this opening is not invariable in location, form, or even in direction in oase it be a slot.

I. The combination with an envelop having a small aperture at one margin, of a cntting-plate lying within the envelop and having a member passed ont through said aper* ture and provided with a shoulder normally projecting beyond the limit of the aperture and thereby preventing the member from moving inward.

2. The combination with an envelop haw ing a suitable slot at one margin, of a narrow cutting-plate lying within the envelop on the side toward said margin, extending the full length of the latter, and provided With a member extending through said slot and having its external portion wider than the latter, whereby the plate is prevented from moving from said side.

3. The combination with an envelop, of a cutting-plate lying within the envelop, and means whereby said plate may be drawn outward While the envelop is closed and made to out through and thus open the same, said envelop being provided with a flap preventing the edge of the plate from engaging the letter as it is passing into the open envelop.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK TIIEILENGERDES.

Witnesses:

XVALTER GOODMAN, DUNCAN JOY. 

